Letter or bill file



(No Model.)

W. R. BURRAGE, l LETTER OR BILL FILE.

No. 566,375. r Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

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A TTOHNEY' NITED TATES WILLIAM R. BURRAGE, OF BROOKLYN, NFNV YORK.

LETTER OR BiLL FlLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,375, dated August 25, 1896. Application filed May '7, 1896. Serial No. 590,5 36. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. BURRAGE, residing in Brookl yn,Kin gs county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improveinents in Letter or Bill Files, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to the class of letter and bill files in which the leaves that alphabetically separate the letters, &c., are contained in a box.

The object of my invention is to so arrange the parts composing the file as to enable the more ready insertion of letters, bills, 850., than is usual in this class of files, while at the same time providing for the more ready inspection of the letters, 820., while they are in the file.

My invention consists in a file composed of a series of leaves having bellows or gussets along the lower and rear edges to keep letters, &c., in place, the front and upper edges of the leaves being free and unfastened ,whereby the leaves can be bent and moved sidewise freely when letters are to be inserted or inspected.

The invention also consists in the novel details of improvement and the combination of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved file. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the file opened, the top flap being removed. Fig.3 is a front view showing the file thrown open ready to receive letters, 850. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the leaves or partitions of the file. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a detail of the lower bellows or gusset connected with the filingleaves.

In the accompanying drawings the letter A indicates a box or case which is composed of two sides a a, a front flap 1), hinged to one of said sides, and back boards a c, which are secured, respectively, to the boards a a and hinged together at cl, so that the sides a a of the box can swing open. 6 e are bottom boards which are respectively connected with the sides a a, and are arranged to separate when the box is opened. B is the top cover,

which is hinged to one board a, as at a, and arranged to fold down upon the other parts of the box. The top 13' can be swung over free from the box to enable access from that end, the same as the front flap b.

Any suitable means may be employed to keep the flaps B and b in position when the box is closed. I have shown a barf, carried by the flap b, to pass over the top flap B to keep the latter from opening. The edge of flap b may have a catch f to hold it to side a in well-knownmanner.

The filing-leaves are arranged as follows: D D are the series of leaves or partitions con tained within the box, and at theirlower edges these leaves or partitions are secured to a gusset or bellows-like sheet E, which lies over the bottom boards 6 e. This gusset may be strengthened along its front edge by a reinforce-strip of fabric. g. F is a gusset or bellows-like sheet secured to the rear vertical edges of the leaves or partitions D. The ends of the gusset E and the front vertical edges of the outer leaves D are secured. to the sides a a at D (see Fig. 2,) whereby when the box is opened the leaves D will be separated accordingly. The upper free edges of the leaves or partitions D may be strengthened by a strip of folded paper G, which incloses said ends and is pasted thereto, and they may be further strengthened by a cloth strip G, pasted over the strip G. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

To use the file above described, the flaps b B are thrown back and the sides a a separated, which causes the leaves or partitions D D to separate. The front and upper edges of the leaves or partitions will now be found free to admit letters, bills, 850., and as the upper edges of the leaves are free and disconnected they can be separated as much as desired to permit free access. As the cover B swings entirely free of the box perfect freedom of access to the interior is afforded.

This device will be found an improvement on those files in which the leaves are secured along all the edges excepting the front.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a bill-file, a box having flaps, combined with a series of leaves within saidbox,

a bellows or gusset secured to the lower edges hinged to one side, combined with a series of IO of said leaves, a bellows or gusset secured to leaves Within the box, a gusset secured to said the back edges of said leaves, the two outer leaves along their lower edges and a gusset leaves being secured to the sides of the box secured to said leaves along their rear edges 5 along their front edges, substantially as desubstantially as described.

scribed. W. R. BURRAGE.

2. In a letter or bill file, a boxhaving sides l/Vitnesses: a a, divided bottoms e, e, a back a, a, hinged T. F. BOURNE,

centrally, a front flap b, and a top' flap B IONE JEANETTE KUHN. 

